Alumni Awards 2017

Alumni Awards 2017: Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, Chemical Engineering

In the weeks leading up to the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we’ll be profiling each honoree in more detail here on our blog. Today, meet Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, chemical engineering, associate professor at the Duke University School of Medicine and this year’s Outstanding Alumnus in Engineering and Information Technology. As an associate professor of psychiatry, behavioral science, neurobiology, and neurosurgery at the Duke University School of Medicine, Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, chemical engineering, has dedicated his career to creating a kind of “pacemaker for the brain,” a device that can effectively rewire neurological signals in patients with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and… Continue Reading Alumni Awards 2017: Kafui Dzirasa ’01, M8, Chemical Engineering

Alumni Awards 2017: Marc Zupan, Department of Mechanical Engineering

In the weeks leading up to the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we’ll be profiling each honoree in more detail here on our blog. Today, meet Marc Zupan, associate professor and graduate program director of UMBC’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and this year’s Outstanding Faculty Award winner. In just over 14 years at UMBC, Marc Zupan, associate professor and graduate program director in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has become known as a connection-maker. He connects students with internships, job opportunities, and graduate programs. He’s made international connections with Portugal’s Universidade do Porto through the Global Engineering Program. And he’s made connections across… Continue Reading Alumni Awards 2017: Marc Zupan, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Alumni Awards 2017: Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D. ’06, Public Policy

In the weeks leading up to the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we’ll be profiling each honoree in more detail here on our blog. Today, meet Rear Admiral Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D. ’06, public policy, the current Deputy Surgeon General of the United States and our Outstanding Alumna in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D. ’06, public policy, currently serves as the Deputy Surgeon General of the Unites States. She is a Rear Admiral (RADM) in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps. In her role as Deputy Surgeon General she advises and supports the Surgeon General regarding operations of the… Continue Reading Alumni Awards 2017: Sylvia Trent-Adams, Ph.D. ’06, Public Policy

Alumni Awards 2017: Dennis Williams II ’14, American Studies

In the weeks leading up to the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we’ll be profiling each honoree in more detail here on our blog. Today, meet Dennis Williams II ’14, American studies, head of content marketing at Skillshare and this year’s Outstanding Alumnus in the Humanities. Near the end of his time at UMBC, Dennis Williams II ’14, American studies, had already begun to break into online media, writing professionally for Funny or Die and the Huffington Post. And in the few short years since he graduated, he’s made a name for himself in the tech industry, heading up a global content marketing team… Continue Reading Alumni Awards 2017: Dennis Williams II ’14, American Studies

Alumni Awards 2017: Lauren Mazzoli ’15, Mathematics and Computer Science, and M.S. ’17, Computer Science

In the weeks leading up to the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we’ll be profiling each honoree in more detail here on our blog. Today, meet Lauren Mazzoli ’15, mathematics and computer science, and M.S. ’17, computer science, systems engineer at Northrop Grumman and this year’s recipient of the Rising Star award for outstanding graduates of the last decade. As a young woman studying in a traditionally male-dominated field, Lauren Mazzoli ’15, mathematics and computer science, and M.S. ’17, computer science, has faced her share of challenges. “There were numerous times where I could have felt overwhelmed or defeated” by the gender ratio… Continue Reading Alumni Awards 2017: Lauren Mazzoli ’15, Mathematics and Computer Science, and M.S. ’17, Computer Science

Alumni Awards 2017: Alejandro Cremaschi ’93, Music

In the weeks leading up to the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we’ll be profiling each honoree in more detail here on our blog. Today, meet Alejandro Cremaschi ’93, music, associate professor of piano pedagogy and chair of keyboard studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, and this year’s Outstanding Alumnus in Visual and Performing Arts. As a musician, an academic, and a native of Argentina, Alejandro Cremaschi ’93, music, has dedicated much of his life and career to the research and performance of the music of Latin America. In addition to his post as an associate professor of piano pedagogy and chair of… Continue Reading Alumni Awards 2017: Alejandro Cremaschi ’93, Music

Alumni Awards 2017: Kate Laskowski ’06, Biological Sciences and Chemistry

In the weeks leading up to the Alumni Awards Ceremony, we’ll be profiling each honoree in more detail here on our blog. Today, meet Kate Laskowski ’06, biological sciences and chemistry, scientist at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, and this year’s Outstanding Alumna in the Natural and Mathematical Sciences. Kate Laskowski ’06, biological sciences and chemistry, had plans for veterinary school when she enrolled at UMBC, and figured that experience as an undergraduate researcher could only help with the application process. When she got to the lab, however, she realized what she “really wanted to keep doing — which was… Continue Reading Alumni Awards 2017: Kate Laskowski ’06, Biological Sciences and Chemistry

Congratulations to our 2017 Alumni Award Winners!

Each year, the UMBC Alumni Association celebrates alumni and faculty who have made outstanding contributions to their fields, their communities, and the University. Join us for the Alumni Awards Ceremony on Thursday, October 5, at the Earl and Darielle Linehan Concert Hall, as we honor the following individuals: Outstanding Alumnus, Engineering and Information Technology Dr. Kafui Dzirasa ’01, Chemical Engineering Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Outstanding Alumnus, Humanities Dennis Williams ’14, American Studies Head of Content Marketing, Skillshare; Oculus Content Fellow; LinkedIn Top Voice 2016 Outstanding Alumna, Natural and Mathematical Sciences Dr. Kate Laskowski ’06, Biological… Continue Reading Congratulations to our 2017 Alumni Award Winners!

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